Bust, Boom, and Hope: December 10, 2012

By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek

December 10, 2012

“Bust”: Top Five Reasons the Armageddon is Near

1. South Florida has a potential scheduling dilemma as it prepares a bid for Super Bowl L in 2016. The NFL is considering moving the Super Bowl to Presidents’ Day weekend, which overlaps with the Miami International Boat Show. In the past, Miami officials have decided against bidding for Super Bowls that conflict with the boat show.

2. The NHL lockout is hurting business in Boston, as bars and restaurants around the TD Garden are losing between $850,000 and $1 million for every game the Bruins don’t play. Ironically, Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is arguably the NHL owner most in favor of the lockout.

3. More than a month into the NBA season, Rockets games are only available in 40% of Houston-area TV households because of carriage problems for CSN Houston. The channel, which launched in October as a partnership between the Rockets, Astros, and NBC, is believed to be seeking a $3.40 per month subscriber fee.

4. Though the SEC championship between Alabama and Georgia was the second most-watched college football game this season, other conference championship games had abysmal TV numbers. The ACC and Big Ten championships both posted record low ratings, down double-digits from last year’s games.

5. Izod IndyCar Series officials have decided to close the company’s small office in Santa Monica, California. The office, which opened two years ago under recently fired CEO Randy Bernard, was designed to help IndyCar make inroads in the entertainment industry.

“Boom”: Top Five Reasons that Prosperity is Right Around the Corner

1. Thanks to record sales tax revenue, the city of Arlington is expected to pay back its Cowboys Stadium debt quicker than scheduled. The city’s economy is doing so well that Mayor Robert Cluck expects to debt to be paid off 12-15 years early, saving taxpayers more than $64 million.

2. Boosted by last season’s record revenue, the average NHL franchise value increased 18% to $282 million, according to the annual survey released by Forbes. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the league’s most valuable team for the seventh consecutive year, topping a $1 billion valuation for the first time.

3. An anonymous Notre Dame donor gave the school an estimated $375,000 to cut in half the price of BCS championship game tickets for students. The school is giving 2,500 of its 17,000-ticket allotment to students, and has received more than 100,000 ticket requests from students and alumni.

4. Toyota has signed a deal to title sponsor NASCAR’s spring races at Richmond International Raceway. The Sprint Cup Series race will be known as the Toyota Owners 400, while the Nationwide race will be called the Toyota Care 250. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

5. The Chicago Bulls are negotiating a naming rights deal for their new practice facility, scheduled to open during the 2014-15 NBA season. The team is rumored to be in talks with Adidas, which counts Bulls star Derrick Rose as its primary endorser.

“Hope”: Top Five Reasons That Creativity is the Key to Economic Survival

1. The Phoenix Suns last week held a “Satisfaction Guaranteed” promotion, offering fans a full-refund if they didn’t have a good time at Thursday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. The Suns this season are on pace for their worst per-game home attendance since 1992.

2. Northern Illinois is giving one free Orange Bowl ticket to students who go to Miami for the January 1 game against Florida State. The move isn’t a first for the school, which has provided free tickets to bowl games and MAC championships since at least 2008. The MAC may help subsidize NIU’s trip to Miami so the school doesn’t lose any money.

3. In an effort to remain active in the community during the lockout, the Pittsburgh Penguins teamed with Highmark, a local insurance company, on an initiative to build youth rinks. The $2.1 million Project Power Play will lead to the construction of 12 rinks throughout Alleghany County over the next four years.

4. Mercedes-Benz has decided to film its Super Bowl commercial in New Orleans, home of both the game and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 60-second, fourth-quarter ad will introduce the company’s new CLA sedan and feature several celebrities.

5. Planned renovations to Daytona International Speedway could include replacing the track’s 53-year-old grandstands. Site plans filed with the city of Daytona indicate DIS could expand its capacity by 150,000 seats as part of the development.